If you disposed of your property (for example, by selling it, gifting it or transferring it to someone else) in 2011-12, capital gains tax might apply and you must read question 18 - Capital gains and the Guide to capital gains tax 2012 (NAT 4151).

This is the full amount of money you earn when you rent out your property. You must include any bond money retained in place of rent or kept because of damage to the property requiring repairs. An insurance payout for lost rent or a reimbursement of any rental expenses you claim in 2011-12 or claimed in an earlier year must also be included as income.

You can claim expenses relating to your rental property but only for the period your property was rented or available for rent, for example, advertised for rent.

Expenses could include advertising for tenants, bank charges, body corporate fees, borrowing expenses, council rates, decline in value of depreciating assets, gardening and lawn mowing, insurance, land tax, pest control, property agent fees or commissions, repairs and maintenance, stationery, phone, water charges, and travel undertaken to inspect the property or to collect the rent.

If part of your property is used to earn rent, you can claim expenses relating to only that part of the property. You will need to work out a reasonable basis to apportion the claim.

Example

Gerard's private residence includes a second storey which he rented out. The second storey represents 30% of the total floor area of the house. Gerard also shared the laundry with his tenant. The laundry takes up 10% of the total floor area of the house. If half is a reasonable figure for use of the laundry by the tenant, Gerard can claim 35% of the expenses for the property, that is, 30% + (1/2 10%) = 35%.

If you prepaid a rental property expense, such as insurance or interest on money borrowed, that covers a period of 12 months or less and the period ends on or before 30 June 2013, you can claim an immediate deduction. Otherwise, your deduction might have to be spread over two or more years under the prepayment rules if the expense is $1,000 or more. See the publication Deductions for prepaid expenses 2012 (NAT 4170).

If you derived rent jointly (or in common) with another person from a jointly held property where you were not a member of a partnership carrying on a business of renting out properties, include your share of rent and expenses at this item.

If the title deed shows that you were a part owner of the property, include only your share of the rent and expenses on your tax return. For example, if you owned half of the property, you should show half of the rent and claim half of the deductible expenses for the property. Rental properties 2012 provides further information on how to work out your share of the rent and expenses that you can claim.

You can claim a deduction for the decline in value of certain items, known as depreciating assets, that you acquired as part of the purchase of your property or that you subsequently purchased for your property.

A depreciating asset is an asset that has a limited effective life and can reasonably be expected to decline in value over the time it is used. Examples of depreciating assets are freestanding furniture, stoves, washing machines and television sets.

Rental properties 2012 has a comprehensive list of depreciating assets found in residential rental properties.

The publications Guide to depreciating assets 2012 (NAT 1996) and Rental properties 2012 will help you understand the rules for working out your deduction for decline in value and other aspects of rental property ownership. The guide also contains details of the immediate deductions for assets where the cost (when added to the cost of other substantially identical assets, or assets that make up a set) does not exceed $300. It explains the low-value pool, to which you can allocate depreciating assets costing less than $1,000 (low-cost assets) and depreciating assets written down to less than $1,000 under the diminishing value method (low-value assets).

You may be able to claim a deduction for the construction costs of your property over a 25-year or 40-year period, called a capital works deduction.

You can claim a deduction if:

construction began after 17 July 1985 and the property is used for residential accommodation

construction began after 19 July 1982 and the property is not used for residential accommodation (for example, a shop), or

construction began after 21 August 1979, the property is used to provide short-term accommodation for travellers and it meets certain other criteria.

A deduction may also be available for structural improvements made to parts of the property other than the building if work began after 26 February 1992. Examples include sealed driveways, fences and retaining walls.

The deduction does not apply until completion of the construction. The deduction is at the rate of 2.5% or 4% (adjusted for part-year claims) depending on the date the capital works began. Rental properties 2012 will help you determine if you qualify and the appropriate rate.

Our commitment to you

We are committed to providing you with accurate, consistent and clear information to help you understand your rights and entitlements and meet your obligations.

If you follow our information and it turns out to be incorrect, or it is misleading and you make a mistake as a result, we will take that into account when determining what action, if any, we should take.

Some of the information on this website applies to a specific financial year. This is clearly marked. Make sure you have the information for the right year before making decisions based on that information.

If you feel that our information does not fully cover your circumstances, or you are unsure how it applies to you, contact us or seek professional advice.